NURTURES is a grant-funded, STEM-focused research program designing, developing, and implementing teacher professional development, classroom extension activities, and family learning opportunities to create a complementary, integrated system of science education for PreK – 3rd grade.
NURTURES (Phase 1: 2011-2017) was founded on the goal of creating an integrated system of science education for PreK-3rd grade, transforming the way in which PreK-3rd science is taught through the development and implementation of a complementary science education learning model that combines inquiry and learning, formal and informal education, teachers and parents, schools, and the community, in a comprehensive effort to improve science subject interest and science achievement.
NURTURES (Phase 2: 2017-2020) built on the success of the initial phase of the program, the aims were to transform early childhood science teaching and engage families of PreK-3 students in science inquiry practices to measurably improve student science, literacy, and math achievement. A particularly important facet of this follow-up project was to research how each component (teacher professional development versus family engagement) impacts student learning.
NURTURES (Phase 3: 2020-2024) was funded to specifically work with military-connected teachers and their classroom families. In this phase, NURTURES worked with multiple site teams to implement teacher professional development and family engagement programming on a nationwide scale.
NURTURES (Phase 4: 2025-2029) building on promising research findings, NURTURES has received additional funding through the Department of Education’s Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program. This mid-phase replication and scale-up project aims to further our professional learning elements for teachers, adapt materials to meet the needs of students and families, and rigorously evaluate the program’s expansion, impact, and cost-effectiveness.
Alongside the development, implementation, and ongoing refinement of the NURTURES program over the past decade, NURTURES has conducted research in areas including:
Feasibility of the complementary science learning model in a mid-sized urban location
Types of supports needed to ensure that PreK-3 teachers implement inquiry-based science
Supports needed to encourage parents to make use of family science activities
Student achievement outcomes
Student achievement outcomes among groups with variable conditions (e.g., teacher PD only, teacher PD & family engagement)
Multi-site delivery of program elements
Methods of program delivery
Feasibility of offering NURTURES at scale
Principal Investigator
Charlene M. Czerniak, PhD
Co-Principal Investigators
Susanna Hapgood, PhD
Scott Molitor, PhD
Joan Kaderavek, PhD
Kadir Demir, PhD
Program Director
Grant Wilson
Assistant Program Director
Christopher Wojciechowski
Finance Administrator
Alyssa High